Roy Williams: 'Time does heal a lot of things'

Former Kansas coach Roy Williams talks about still cheering for KU, Allen Fieldhouse, his golf game, how much longer he'd like to coach and the possibility of facing KU in a non-conference basketball game. Williams talked before and after participating in a charity golf tournament on Sunday at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta.

He stayed for his players. He stayed bc his players gave him a better shot at a title than the unc players did at that particular time. Roy isn't fooling anyone with a brain, he did what was best for him and him only!

Roy Williams did a lot for the University of Kansas, and it's time to recognize and appreciate what he accomplished. He made a very difficult decision to leave, and it worked out extremely well for all concerned. It's time to let go of the resentment that some still carry.

Hawk316, it is hard to argue with ahpersecoachingexperience, as he is pissed off at everyone!

Roy (and Larry Brown) helped to make KU Basketball relevant again and Roy should be recognized for his 15 years. When Roy left, we were fortunate to get Bill Self who did something that Roy didn't...an NCAA Championship! Roy is long gone ahpersecoachingexperience. Get over it!

For whatever reason, I just now realized that I'm over it. Roy is gone, and as far as I'm concerned we got the better end of the deal. I know that I'll never be scared to face a Roy Williams-coached team as long as Self is at the helm.

I couldn't agree more. I was pretty hurt when he left and the way he left but he still did great things for KU basketball and he does deserve that respect. He is a great guy, great coach, and a great fan!!

Of course, KU was a premiere program before Roy came, but it was also a very pivotal time when he arrived. Larry Brown had left, the school went on probation, and there was no guarantee that the basketball program would fully recover. Consequently, Williams was a very key hire, and fortunately, he proved to be the right guy at the right time. Let's give credit where credit is due.

I attended KU at the end of the Ted Owens era. I appreciate what Larry Brown and Roy did for our program neither were alums but because of their love for Dean Smith, they gave KU 20 years of Glory. Roy and Larry both need to honored for what they did for us.

It hurt when he left, but we're better off. We have a coach who considers KU his destination job, which Roy didn't.

That said, Roy left the program in a lot better shape than he found it, and he gave us a lot of great teams and great memories. We definitely owe him our gratitude for that. Despite the National Championship in 1988 the program,when Roy took over, as not in good shape, with the probation and all. Also, Coach Brown did not do a very good job of recruiting (other than Danny Manning), so there wasn't a lot of talent when Roy arrived. Roy really elevated KU back to the prominece they had under Phog Allen.

KU had fallen out of that top tier of schools who could legitimately compete for the best recruits. Coach Williams restored that stature to the program. A lot of you younger fans were not around for the end of the Ted Owen's era but, trust me, we were not considered a top tier program at that time. Maybe a top 15 or 20 type program, but not a top 4 or 5 program. There were a lot of empty seats in the fieldhouse during the Owen's era.

Yeah, it would be good for the game. The two top programs (NCAA BBall Royalty) playing home and away games each year. Lower Mid-West and Southeast match up which should bring a ton of $s to the NCAA and the two scholls. UNC has this with UK so why not move it to KU now that the UK thing has been going on for 10-11 years straight. Though I like the UK match up I would like to see a change as I could not imagine playing both team in the pre-ACC regular season as UNC always has a tough as heck schedule already. Unlike dook , UNC plays top teams in Nov and Dec, home and away.

I'm 90% or more over it, but the little 10% or more of me that's upset by it is the whole - I use Dean Smith as my model & mentor "thing" as DEAN NEVER WENT BACK TO KANSAS!!!!

I feel like he sacrificed stature with his move. I think he'd've been a lot bigger at Kansas had he finally won one or more than how big he is at North Carolina after having won two (one mainly with Matt Doherty players...the one with Sean May, et al.) back in '05. I feel like Dean will ALWAYS be bigger than him at UNC whereas he could've been "It" here. Very few are old enough to know of the days of "Phog" Allen so...

The conspiracy theorist in me will always think that Roy stayed because he figured the players (Hinrich, Collison, Gooden) he had could win the National Championship for him. Would he have stayed for Ryan Robertson & company? If he hadn't stayed once (the initial time), I could have gotten over it. "Honey, I want a divorce. I'm gonna marry the girl I wanted all along."

I can certainly understand those that were pi$$ed at Roy for heading back. But I am pretty sure there was no conspiracy theory to stay in the beggining due to having a young group of talent. Had he stayed he still would have brought in great players and would eventually win KU a Title.

As far as saying you got the better end of the stick by getting Self, you have every right to believe that as he brought you a title that Roy could not. But of course Roy has two now and hopefully three after this year. I personally would not want any other coach at UNC other than Roy and unfortunately he will be retired in the next 6-8 years which is quickly coming up.

Anyway, it makes UNC fans mad when Roy talks about KU as he does it all the time. I personally am fine with it as he did have more years at KU than he probably will at UNC once he retires. UNC hans also were very upset when Roy had the Jayhawk sticker when watch KU win it all in '08.

Either way, he is a great coach and should have won a title in '03 before leaving but he could not coach in all those missed FTs at te end of that game. Crap happens. UNC should have won in '98 but crap happened which in a best of 7, UNC would have won in 5. I feel that same way about KU in '03.

UNC is the brother school. We must meet and defeat at all times the following:
Kenturkey, Duke,UCLA, Syracuse, Michigan State, a few others.
Dean went to KU then coached at UNC. He sent us two coaches, Larry and Roy, and we did very well with them. When Roy left, he just went home... to the land of Dean and Michael Jordan, no less. We had some final fours with him but we have now a championship after him. We beat UNC in that final four, and Roy still wore a Jayhawk the next game, the championship game, which his unc fans didn't like. KU will always have a great coach and great players. Everybody chill. I was not even mad when he left. That is his home, and I felt that as great as we were, we still needed something else to prevail in the Final Four. It happened. The Championshp of 08 gave us what we wanted most. Can anyone say it would have happened if Roy was still here? I think our glass is full. Can't worry about it. Life is too short. I would rather KU and UNC win them all and those others become our prey. Do not forget that Kenturkey beat us 15 in a row before we beat them 150-95 LMAO, and UCLA beat us a bunch, and Duke got the trophy in 86 when we were the best, Archie got hurt, refs as always stunk. I have way too much focus on these others. Dean was on our champ team in 52. KU loves Dean. UNC loves Dean. He sent us his best. The negatorians must go away. I can't hardly get down about anything. The championship and the Orange Bowl just runneth over and there are no worries. Just a fan enjoying now...

Wasn't mad when Coach Williams left - was sad more than anything - but understood him going "home" for what he considered his "dream job." Thought it was stupid for people to be so furious over his decision. Just as stupid as the crap that Coach Self caught when he came to KU. People just need to get over it and chill out! I love KU basketball as much as the next guy, but seriously - it's a game!

this is an amazing thread. mature, intelligent people disagreeing about things in a civil way. no flaming. i especially appreciate the NC people who give us their perspective on how the NC fans get upset when roy talks about UNC. the fact is that UNC and KU are totally connected basketball royalty, as our coaching trees are completely entwined. i'm over roy leaving too. i sometimes miss the way his teams ran like clockwork. it was very pretty. (and this will be controversial, but he might recruit on character just a pinch more than Bill.)